Publications: ""Committee Internships: The Easy 'In'"," Info Career Trends, January 2006; "Technical Services Manager, Public Library," A Day in the Life (Libraries Unlimited), in press; "Library 2.0: What's Next in Tech," Illinois Library Association Reporter, December 2005.

Accomplishments: Member of the 2005 class of Synergy: The Illinois Library Leadership Initiative, and member of the steering committee for "Librarian Crossing," the Synergy class project.

STATEMENT:

As an NMRT member, I’ve benefited from many opportunities that I wouldn’t have found elsewhere in ALA. The opportunity to continue giving back to NMRT as Vice President/President-Elect would be a tremendous honor. I have two major goals that I would like to accomplish during my tenure as NMRT President: 1) To strengthen the connections between NMRT and other ALA divisions and roundtables by reviewing the current liaison program and making any necessary changes; and 2) To provide relevant and practical leadership training for early-career librarians using electronic and in-person means, including discussions on NMRT-L and programs at Midwinter and Annual conferences. These goals are based on needs that I’ve noticed during my time as an NMRT committee chair and as an NMRT director, as well as my interactions with members of other ALA divisions and roundtables.

SUTTON, TANZI MERRITT

Education: University of Kentucky, Master of Science in Library Science, 2001; Transylvania University, Bachelor of Arts, 1996; Morehead State University, Master of Business Administration.

Current Position: Director of Library and Information Services, Gateway Community and Technical College, 2005-present.

Accomplishments: Accomplishments of which I am most proud include receiving both the Melody Trosper and the LISSO Student of the Year Award from UK. These awards are given to a student that shows professional promise and contributes to the education of other students in the program. I was honored to have received both upon completing my degree. I was also very honored to have received the 3M/NMRT Professional Development Grant, through which I attended my first annual conference in Atlanta. More recently, my work in NMRT has helped me receive an appointment to the ALA Council Committee on Legislation. It is a great honor to serve with the other COL members and help ALA shape its legislative agenda. Finally, I am very proud of being selected as a "Rising Star" by the Lexington Young Professionals Association. This award recognizes both professional achievement and outstanding involvement in the local community.

STATEMENT:

I strongly support both the freedom of expression and the freedom of access to information, even if the expression or information is considered objectionable to some. As a member of the ALA Council Committee on Legislation I am privileged to be able to help ALA support the belief in these rights. These two freedoms are the basis of library services in the United States, but we have recently seen attempts to whittle away at these freedoms. I believe it is essential that these freedoms be preserved, as they are the freedoms that differentiate us from those that we fight against. ALA has an obligation to the people of the United States to raise objections to those policies that interfere with these rights.

I am very happy to have been nominated to run for NMRT Treasurer. Participation in NMRT enhances my career as a reference and instruction librarian. Through NMRT, I have developed my leadership skills and networked with other library workers. I would like to see every member of NMRT receive the same benefits. In order for all members to have these same opportunities, NMRT must continue to spend funds effectively and actively seek additional funds. If elected, I will prepare a sound budget and remain watchful for potential sources of revenue. Because member dues substantially contribute to the budget, I will continue my work in membership promotion and relations. In my vision for NMRT, every member is an active member with a committee appointment. Please allow me to pursue this vision by electing me to serve as your Treasurer.

Accomplishments: As Web & Digital Initiatives Coordinator at OU, I coordinated the digitization of Sooner Magazine (1928-present) and the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma meeting minutes (1893-present). I also recently attended the 2004 MPLA Leadership Institute at Ghost Ranch.

STATEMENT:

I have found participation in NMRT truly rewarding and would like to continue to serve the organization in whatever way would be of most value to the organization. I believe the treasurer plays an important role in the operations of NMRT and would be honored to serve in this capacity. As NMRT treasurer, I would strive to maintain accurate financial records for NMRT as well as be available to provide important financial information needed for planning future NMRT activities. I would like to see NMRT work harder to recruit new ALA members into NMRT and expand our membership in whatever way possible. It may be in NMRT's best interest to invest in a membership campaign, and if possible, I would hope to find funds for this campaign as part of my duties as treasurer. NMRT provides valuable resources for new professionals, and we need to advertise this.

I have been a librarian for two and a half years and involved in libraries, first as a student employee, as support staff, and as a librarian for over ten years. In that time I have been witness to vast changes in the culture of librarianship and the resources that we offer and that we offer guidance on. I firmly believe that change can be beautiful and frightening all at the same time. It is my concern that this wave of change can sweep us all away if we are not careful. I wish to be a conduit for the changes that are to come, to help guide them and make them less frightening for both new professionals and for those who are vested in librarianship.

I feel that NMRT plays a critical role in orienting and integrating new librarians into ALA. As a member of NMRT I have had the opportunity to serve as both a member and the Chair of the Orientation Committee, and I have seen first-hand how NMRT is bridging the gap between nervous new librarians and the large organization that is ALA. I welcome the opportunity to serve this truly helpful organization in meeting the needs of the new members of ALA.

Accomplishments: Currently serving on University's Faculty Senate, as Senate Secretary. Produce and edit a newsletter for the Coastal Bend Audubon Society. I have written many free-lance articles of general and local interest in regional (non-library) publications.

STATEMENT:

A key ingredient of NMRT is person-to-person networking, even if it is done online. As a new librarian, I appreciated the opportunity to volunteer and observe how NMRT and ALA work, and to network, absorbing advice on how to proceed with career and professional activities. As director, I will be very aware of my role as a "welcomer" to new librarians, and to New Members. I spoke to a new librarian at an NMRT "Meet and Greet", who later told me that I had made a difference in her career decision-making. Each person, each new librarian, needs someone to guide them with a little bit of reality. As director, I will work to serve new librarians, ensuring that the committees I work with have all the tools, advance knowledge, and coordination I can provide.

DUNNEBACK, KATIE
Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, M.S. in Library and Information Science, 2003; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, A.B. in Anthropology, 1999.

A vital New Members Round Table is one where the development of future leaders for our profession is nourished and encouraged. The Director helps to develop and empower committee chairs, and in this way affects the next generation of leaders; the committee members. I hope to take the next step in the development of my leadership skills by being elected to the position of Director. I look forward to assisting our committee chairs and members in their journey to being the future leaders of our field.

Accomplishments: I've been a member of ALA since 1999 and worked in libraries since 1993. I secured my first full-time professional position just last year, which recent grads will recognize as an accomplishment. My first big publication, "Web Search Basics" in Empowering Distance Learners with Hands-On Information Literacy Activities, is forthcoming from Library Instruction Publications. I will be giving my first big conference presentation, entitled "What do distance education faculty want from the library?" in April 2006 at the Off-Campus Library Services Conference. In NMRT these past two years, I helped launch the new Career Mentoring program and hope to get the chance to contribute to NMRT and ALA for years to come.

STATEMENT:

Now that I have my MLIS and a steady job, I seek to give back to the profession and ALA by becoming more involved. Though I'm relatively new to librarianship, I have much to offer. I have recent and varied experience as a paraprofessional and professional, which allows me to relate well to issues faced by all library staff. I have worked in public, special, and academic libraries of all sizes, and can conceptualize the differences and similarities in working in these environments. I can understand and focus on issues involving libraries and those who work in them, and help bring ALA's attention to these issues. As a recent library school graduate, I bring perspective on what is currently occurring in library education. As a native and current resident of the Pacific Northwest, I offer more representation in ALA for libraries and library workers in the West.